MY HUMBLE STATEMENT IN CONTRIBUTION FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT IN EXILE OF THE UNITED STATES OF KURDISTAN

The Kurdish sovereign past

Kurdish history dates back to around 10,000 BC. During the great migration, Kurds travelled from Scandinavia to areas of Caucasia and around the region of Mount Ararat. Historians tell us, through documented history, that two branches of Kurds moved through the area still known informally as ‘Kurdistan’. One group is that of the Gutis – a part of the Kurdish nation that migrated from Ararat to around the Caspian Sea and from there travelled further down to the Arabian Sea and Red Sea areas. The other group is that of the Kurtis. This group moved from Mt. Ararat alongside the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, and their surrounding areas, and continued down to the Mediterranean Sea. From this region that group also migrated from Aleppo to Mosul and met the Gutis in and around the Arabian and Red Sea areas.

Thousands of years passed and the Kurds were master of their territories. We know from history that they ruled their territories. In so doing, they established many states, kingdoms, and indeed, empires. The Medes, Kassites, and Ayubis are well-known examples. Again, historians tell us something about the states that were established by the Kurds and the names of their kings.

Kurds have been practicing many different religions, such as Zoroastrianism – one of the world’s oldest religions that accepts a single God. Nowadays, this faith is still followed by the Yazidis. Kurds also follow other religions including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The division of the Kurds begins with an invasion in the name of Islam by Khalif (Caliph) Omer in 640 AD.

The first real weakness in Kurdish sovereignty occurred after an alliance was reached between the Kurdish kings and the Ottoman Turks in 1514.

Aftermath of WWI – the Usurpation of the Kurdish lands

It is no surprise that a formal distraction from the fate of the Kurds and of Kurdistan was planned, and then executed, by the Western powers after World War I. The Sykes – Picot agreement was reached in 1916 and took effect after World War I when the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, replaced the Treaty of Sèvres that had set forth the possibility of a Kurdish nation state. The new nation states of Iraq, Syria and Turkey were instead established in the Kurdish homeland with no further mention of Kurdistan as a distinct entity when the Treaty of Lausanne was ratified. Part of Kurdistan was given to Iran, and another part was left in the hands of the Soviet Union. Thereafter, the League of Nations, (which has been replaced by the United Nations), accepted the mandate of the victors of World War I. In fact, Kurdistan’s land was simply co-opted and shared out between these partners in the service of their own interests. The Treaty of Lausanne, regrettably for the Kurds, legalized that forcible co-option of Kurdistan in 1923.

Since that time, Kurdistan has been ruled by the occupying states and administered without consideration for Kurdish rights by the central governments of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran; this includes administration through brutal military force, state of emergency rulings, and instances of genocide. Overt military policies have resulted in mass Kurdish forcible migration and extermination policies to sever Kurdish connections with their homeland.

The Kurdish lands have been exploited by the occupiers in service of their own interests throughout the past century. The chief interest of the occupiers was to create fertile opportunities to usurp Kurdistan’s wealth for themselves. This they have achieved both by force and by fraud.

Today’s United Nations institution followed the dictates of the victors of World War I and legalized Kurdistan’s usurpation. In managing so to do, they systematically brutalized the Kurdish nation and imposed a systematic campaign of ethnocide.

The masters of World War I and the United Nations did not care for the protection of the basic human rights of the Kurdish nation. They did not even react when Kurds were subjected to instances of systematic genocide by the states of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. Instead, the United Nations and other parties satisfied themselves with their so-called human rights reports and such monitoring and comment. Internationally-recognized human rights institutions and media organizations have tended to follow the same path ever since.

Kurdish nation seeks a solution to a century of death and deprivation

The goal and struggle of the Kurds for independence and freedom has not ceased. Hundreds of thousands of Kurdish citizens have been murdered and millions displaced in the course of this struggle. Today, the struggle and brutal clampdown continues along with the robbery of Kurdish assets by the powers in Turkey, Iran, Iraq and to a lesser extent, Syria, owing to the protracted conflict there. Certain corrupt entities in Kurdistan alas collaborate with these states for their own personal interests, putting themselves and their private gains before the needs of the people they claim to represent.

The Kurdish people’s representatives should not limit themselves to lecturing others but would be better tasked to focus on ways to reach solutions for Kurdistan and the Kurdish nation. The Kurdish representatives have to convince the United Nations and the civilized states to help the Kurdish nation take back their homeland. With the support of the United Nations and of civilized nation states the transition of Kurdish lands being given back to the Kurdish nation can be achieved diplomatically and without bloodshed. The United Nations and civilized states are capable of realising this.

Recently, the state of Israel brought the plight of the Kurdish people and their long and painful suffering to the world’s attention. Israel has provided a realistic guideline for reaching a solution. We heartily thank Israel and the Israeli people for this.

Today, after 95 years of painful suffering we have arrived at this historic point. The struggle of the Kurdish nation must be kept in mind as we take the first formal step towards reaching a solution.

On 24 July 1923, the dismemberment of the Kurdish homeland was agreed in this country, in this city, in this building, and in this very room.

With the help of civilized nation states and their institutions, the Kurdish people can establish the United States of Kurdistan.

What is the Kurdish entity, Kurdistan?

Todays Kurdish homeland, the territory of the map of the United States of Kurdistan, spans from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean via Aleppo, on to Mosul and the north of Iraq and down to the Persian Gulf. From there it moves up to the Caspian Sea and reaches further to the Black Sea. The details of this map need to be finalized for the submission to the United Nations to demand the recognition of the United States of Kurdistan.

This historic Kurdish homeland remains under the control of brutal occupiers. These occupiers have no rightful place in the Kurdish homeland or in positions of power and control in the civilized world for they fail to abide by international rules of engagement and of law.

The population of Kurdistan is estimated today to number over 50 million people. However, as the Kurds do not have control over their homeland, exact statistics cannot be given as no separate statistical surveys are taken by the central governments occupying Kurdish areas. 50 million people is a realistic estimate.

The Kurdish national flag is red, white, and green with the symbol of the sun placed in the centre.

The Kurdish language is made up of three main national dialects whilst many regional dialects are also spoken by the Kurdish people. The Kurdish language is one of the Indo-Iranian group of languages and is one of the oldest, richest and most beautiful languages in the world.

Despite the barbaric occupiers’ systematic destruction of the Kurdish language, the bans imposed, and the censorship of Kurdish forms of national and cultural expression, the Kurds have still managed to keep their language alive. Linguistics studies tell us that today there are still over 80,000 distinct Kurdish words spoken. Of course, this field of study is crucially in need of further research as part of the study of Kurdish language but such cannot readily be achieved without the establishment of an independent state to protect the work itself.

We respectfully bow down before those heroes who have lost their lives for the freedom of the Kurdish nation and the goal of independence for Kurdistan. A new day must dawn – as history shows us – in light of the painful struggle of the Kurdish people. A new vision, fresh decisions and a new means of struggle is required. This can be a long and painful journey, but most importantly, it is a journey that needs to be embarked upon and it is a worthy one.

Kurdistan’s resources and commitment to humanity

Kurdistan’s lands have very rich energy reserves, which are more than enough for the region and the whole of Europe. Fresh water in Kurdish land is also very valuable and is a rich reserve. Many other valuable mineral reserves also lie in Kurdish land. These reserves are being wasted because of the incompetency and negative intentions of the occupying states.

The USK, with their partners and allies, will make this valuable wealth available for everyone’s benefit in order to serve civilisation. No such destruction as we have witnessed at the hands of groups like ISIS should be allowed to destroy humanity and nature.

These, and many other reasons, prove that it is essential to realise the establishment of the United States of Kurdistan.

Past struggle, new focus, new solutions

Of course, we respect and appreciate every political movement that has been struggling for the Kurdish nation and Kurdistan’s resistance against the occupiers. We sincerely believe that they have done their best. The United States of Kurdistan’s project represents a continuation towards accomplishing what they started. After the announcement of the Kurdistan government, the government members will act accordingly in full dialogue and cooperation with all the Kurdish freedom movement’s organisations.

We respectfully welcome everyone here today to witness the announcement of the establishment of the United States of Kurdistan’s transitional government. This government’s task is to do all they can to convince external parties to recognize the United States of Kurdistan. Following this announcement, the candidates of the transitional government will start their work by setting out and reaching agreement on each other’s positions acting with the responsibility needed to accomplish their historical duty.

One of the most important steps of the transitional government will be to reach an agreement with friendly nation states and enter into partnerships. In parallel, a request shall be submitted to the United Nations for recognition of the United States of Kurdistan as a sovereign state.

The members of the transitional government are principled, confident intellectuals. They must trust in Xwedê and believe in themselves. They must not have any fear, but be fully determined on their mission.

The United States of Kurdistan can bring peace and stability to the Middle East in particular, and to the civilized world in general.

It has been a long journey for me and for the other members of the working committee to be prepared and ready to be here today. We sincerely believe that the vision to establish the United States of Kurdistan is the only solution for the unprotected Kurdish nation. Our task has been to find a solution. We could not find any other alternative. This project appears to be the most difficult of all, but it is most certainly the right one for the Kurdish nation. Just as it is a duty incumbent upon the members of the transitional government to achieve success and complete their mission so too it is the responsibility of every responsible Kurdish individual to regard this mission as their personal duty.

Calling upon friends and fellow patriots

I would like respectfully to thank the honourable friends that are working with me on this project and commend their patience concerning my demands in seeking to complete the hard work, which brought us here today.

I will be honoured to send a letter of thanks to each of these decent and honourable friends for their tireless and valuable contribution to this project. We launched the project and have now brought it to this point. I respectfully ask you all to carry it on from here and help bring it to fruition. Of course, I will also still serve this project for the rest of my life and will respectfully accept the responsibility of any position that shall be accorded to me by the honourable candidate members of the transitional government.

I would respectfully ask each civilized and decent human being not to leave the Kurds alone on their journey. The transitional government wishes to explain very clearly that their task is to establish the USK and lead the election of an actual government and ensure that democratic values be protected so as to stand shoulder to shoulder with civilized nation states.

External relations

The transitional government needs to realize that partnership with the state of Israel will be of mutual benefit to both Kurdistan and Israel. With the help of the European Union and civilized nation states and according to the guidelines of the United States of America along with the United Nations the establishment and protection of the United States of Kurdistan can be a smooth and peaceful transition.

The candidates for the transitional government believe that Turkey should remain a member of NATO and become a member of the European Union ruled by genuinely democratic values developed in civilized society, but keeping within their own borders. Iran, Iraq, and Syria can govern their countries in the manner determined by their citizens, but here again, within their own borders.

The United States of Kurdistan and Israel can work with single-minded, strong allies that will help the neighbouring countries in the Middle East rule their countries in accordance with democratic values in service of the full protection of human rights and in a civilized manner.

After the formation of the transitional government, in cooperation with partners and allies, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria should be approached and convinced to accept the mediation of the United Nations to bring about an end to their occupation of the Kurdish homeland.

I respectfully thank everyone that has given their time to be here.

I apologize, that I could not be here with you in person. I respectfully ask each of you to allow me to see myself in each one of you.

So, Xwedê be with us!

I believe and trust that Xwedê, and my honourable Kurdish brothers and sisters, will realise the establishment of the United States of Kurdistan within a very short time.

The announcement of the USK

It is a great pleasure to share with our fellow Kurds and friends that the delegation of the United States of Kurdistan (the USK) has announced its government in exile in Lausanne at Chateau d’Ouchy hotel on 2018, 24 July.

The announcement of the USK has taken place in the same hotel, in the same room, as in 1923, 24 July, where the Lausanne Treaty was signed exactly 95 years ago.This Treaty will come to an end in 2023 and it will create the possibility to take the Kurdish land back from the occupiers.

The delegation of the USK feels very proud and honoured for taking the first step since a new are has been born for the Kurdish nation.